Become a Member Today and Unlock EXCLUSIVE Videos:
Faced with a 460-aircraft shortfall and an F-16 fleet averaging 34 years old, the U.S. Air Force is considering a radical move: buying brand-new F-16s. Dubbed the F-16G and based on the modern Block 70 airframe, the jet offers conformal fuel tanks, AESA radars, and an extended 12,000-hour lifespan at a fraction of the F-35’s operating cost. From acting as a “quarterback” for autonomous drone swarms to operating from short runways in the Pacific, discover why Lockheed Martin’s new Viper might be exactly what the Air Force needs to close its fighter gap.
⏱️ CHAPTERS:
00:00 – Introduction: Lockheed Martin’s F-16G Pitch
02:58 – The Inventory Crisis: F-35 Delays, Aging Vipers, & A-10 Retirements
05:30 – Cost vs. Capacity: F-35 Flight Hour Rates & Procurement Backlogs
08:46 – The F-15EX Precedent & The Active F-16 Greenville Production Line
11:30 – The F-16G Proposal: Conformal Fuel Tanks, Drag Chutes, & AESA Radar
14:39 – Air National Guard Integration & Synergies with Uncrewed CCAs
16:54 – The Counterargument: Peer Competition with China & Real Procurement Costs
Support us directly as we bring you independent, up-to-date reporting on military news and global conflicts by clicking here:
#militarystrategy #militarydevelopments #militaryanalysis
#themilitaryshow
SOURCES / ATTRIBUTIONS:
source
US Air force ordered 850 F35!
John Boyd's baby…..
To be fair the F15 is more suited ( bigger 2nd crew man ) to operate as a "mothership" to drone aircrafts then the F16.
The F16 big benefit is its relative small size and fast turn around time after a mission.
The F16 is what a rifleman is for the infantry.
Fast deployable, flexible and great in numbers.
The F35 is anything butt fast deployable and needs way more maintenance for ervey flight hour then a F16.
For 1 operational F16 you needed 2 spares ( 1 in action, 1 in maintenance, 1 in being checked/prepared for a new mission. )
Operators of The F35 noticed this had increased to 1-7! data retrival of the missions , software updates, other critical updates, warrenty repairs etc.etc. made them way less available.
If the USA are looking at the F16 to make up its numbers, the rest of the world should look at Its proposed F35 buys. Maybe the F35 is not the answer to its needs.
its ok, Donny will buy you some SU35's soon from his mate Vlad.
Maybe F 16 w the "Loyal WIngman" drone would quadruple the force.
Hmm F-16 G sounds like a US version of Mitsubishi F-2
If we have a F47 already why buy an F35
You know its funny how the government works F23 was a better plain then the F22 but they went with the F22 the A 10 is so good that they can't kill it, the F 16 had a model with a bigger wing that everyone said made it a much better air plain but we didn't do it? THEN they stop buying it so we could buy overpriced F 35 ?
Japan is building there next fighter jet based off the F23 because its a better plain but because someone got a kick back we didn't get that better plain just like the bigger winged F 16? which added range and hard points! and all the design and testing work has already be dun!
As a tax payer, there are plenty of lighter roles that should be done by newer, cheaper air craft. China is doing what the U.S. did while the U.S. is taking the Germans position.
Tech is great but expensive and limited. Quantity has a more useful quality to it.
😊
A F-16DV [Drone Version], would be more financially viable… 😂👍
Make 1000s of 'em 'on-a-dime'
The F-35 (A,B,C,D,E…) is subscription based, and can be remotely controlled by the US (for extra, or hidden features), or disabled. 😂
Stop buying expensive Jets until it shows actual success in actual combat situations.
The Airplane Wars are NOT living up to their hype. Afghanistan and Iraq are NOT showing progress. We drop many bombs but the War doesn't get better.
High tech equipment won't Win Wars. We need a new way to fight and really DEFEAT the enemy. Why can A poor enemy kept ALL the expensive high tech equipment at bay?
then give us our harriers back
I'm betting that part of this is because of the world wide mass cancelation of f-35 contracts. that is going to make it 2-3 times as expensive to produce per unit. f-16s are dirt cheep in comparison even with every bell and whistle we can imagine today.
Powerful fighter still …. 🇺🇸
There are so many misses in this script… have to bail like a every Soviet pilot to ever fight against the Viper.
Yeah all that and it’s a direct competitor of the Grippen.
Great Jet in 1980.
46 years ago.
D.C. has gone skittles.
Antiquated scrap metal in an era of mach 5 AESA guided AAMs with >200 nmi. ranges.
Just because an aircraft is old or outdated it doesn’t mean they are not useful or upgradable to carry out a mission profile that it wasn’t actually designed for.
Great idea! We are still using B-52s, right? Take into account who any real enemies might be. It isn’t state of the art aircraft from anywhere.
This is like the choice btwn AM4 and AM5
I always heard the F-16 being called the falcon never viper
The F-16 is 10 times better than the F-35.
F16 an f18 should be manufactured for many years it works
Show me DA MANAAAYYY!!
It was more affordable to maintain an F-16 versus an F-15.. and it can still haul a Nuke.
They don't even count on the F35
The economics of F16 is better than the F35.
Why doesn’t the US give the “Warthogs” to Ukraine, after all, they’re retiring them.
CORRECTION: the video claims the F-16 has been purchased by Air Forces on every continent. Not true. Australia has never flown the F-16. They operated the Mirage III, then replaced them with F-18. Their current Air Force flies a mix of F-35, Super Hornets, and Growlers.
As of now the F16 is still the absolute best aircraft ever built. The Block 70/72 will give the F22 a hard time. If the IR scanner is as good as they say it is the F22s stealth isn't a factor.
Has anyone noticed one real valuable thing this channel has left out?? The F35 has one of the worst available
rale out there I believe the overall rate is 22% overall. That is as bad as it can get. The plan is a hanger queen
plus, if it sustains any damage they almost always write the plane off. The still need planes like the F16 and F15
so that they have A plane to put in the air. I believe they had a F35 that was damaged in the Iran fight. Never heard
the fate of the plane. I heard it made it home.